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Trump Pauses Plan To Guide Ships Through Strait Of Hormuz; Trump Downplays High Gas Prices As "Small Price To Pay"; Images Suggest Iran's Nuclear Supply Chain Not "Obliterated". Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired May 06, 2026 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:31:35]
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: A French shipping firm says that crew members aboard one of its cargo ships were injured when it was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz. A U.K. maritime agency says that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a pause in Project Freedom. That's the operation to guide ships through the vital waterway that was put into effect just a couple of days ago. President Trump says that he wants to see if the U.S. and Iran can reach an agreement. And U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that the military campaign that was launched against Iran about two months ago is over. But President Trump has not ruled out resuming the bombing campaign if the talks or current ceasefire collapse.
For more now we go to CNN's senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes in Washington.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Top Trump administration officials spent most of the day praising this new phase of the Iran war, which they dubbed Project Freedom, which was the guiding of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who did the press briefing in Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's absence, talked about Project Freedom saying that Epic Fury, the combat operation in Iran, was effectively and decidedly over and that now they were in this new phase.
They called it a humanitarian phase. They boasted about how it was helping these sailors on various ships. But just hours later, President Trump seemed to completely put the project on hold. This is what he posted on Truth Social. He said, based on the request of Pakistan and other countries, the tremendous military success, success that we have had during the campaign against the country of Iran, and, additionally, the fact that great progress has been made towards the complete and final agreement with the representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that while the blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom, the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed. Well, when we heard from Rubio in the briefing room, it did not sound like there was any sort of finalization happening with these negotiations. In fact, at various points, while Rubio said that diplomacy was the ultimate goal, he seemed to question the idea that they might ever get there, that Iran might ever get there on any sort of negotiations.
But now you have President Trump saying here that this Project Freedom is on hold while they work towards a negotiation. We have reached out to the White House to try and get any sort of details as to what exactly this means.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
SANDOVAL: And we want to go live now to Dubai in our Eleni Giokos who's following the oil markets. What's the latest there, Eleni?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so you're being -- you're seeing a bit of softness of Brent crude and WTI and very susceptible to any kind of big headline. The point is that since the announcement of Project Freedom, we've actually seen a lot of maritime confrontations. Iran has been sending a very clear message by targeting vessels since the announcement. And then, as you can see now, that all being put on pause. Iran's still asserting its control, announcing what they're calling the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
And they're saying that any vessel and any eligible vessel that wants to transit will be communicated with via e-mail and then they'll have to fill in forms. So, again, Iran wanting to formalize its control over the Strait of Hormuz. And then a significant issue this morning. The U.K. MTO announcing that one vessel was targeted. We now have a bit more information about that vessel.
[04:35:17]
It is the CMA CGM. It's French owned. And we understand that there have been crew members that have been injured after it was struck by an unknown projectile as it was trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Keeping in mind that President Trump says the naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman is going to remain in force until there's some kind of, you know, negotiation, perhaps diplomatic off ramp, as we see, there's momentum perhaps building in the background when it comes to the talks.
But also what is very important to note here, the Joint Maritime Information Center that tracks the threats in the seas says that right now the threat level in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is at highest level. It's at critical right now. They're talking about navigation interference, blockade enforcement, mine reports, residual kinetic risk and so forth. And it's really evident in the impacts on vessels over the last few days.
I also spoke to the CEO of Marisks, Dimitris Maniatis, and he says this. For ship crews, this is no longer simply a difficult transit. Thousands of innocent seafarers remain effectively trapped inside the Persian Gulf, facing constant uncertainty, the threat of further escalation and the ongoing risk of being struck by missiles, drones or even shot at by the Iranian Navy. Shipping companies are now growing increasingly stressed and frustrated as operational pressures mount while crews on board endure severe psychological strain after weeks spent operating under the shadow of war.
Twenty thousand seafarers, estimated number is what we're looking at in terms of the people that are trapped in the Persian Gulf right now trying to find a way to exit. And of course, for that to happen, you need to see those threats eliminated. Polo?
SANDOVAL: Yes, and the latest pause of the U.S.'s mission, I'm sure, as you point out, doing very little to reassure some of those shipping companies. Eleni Giokos, as always, thank you for your reporting.
U.S. President Donald Trump, you may remember that he claimed way back in June 2025 that joint U.S. and Israeli strikes obliterated, his word, that it obliterated Iran's nuclear program. Well, nearly one year later, satellite imagery appears to show a very different story. CNN's Katie Polglase shows us what's left of Iran's nuclear supply chain after it was targeted in two separate military operations.
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KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): This university in central Tehran is considered by the U.S. and Israel one of the very first stages in Iran's nuclear supply chain. It was struck in mid-March by the U.S.-Israeli campaign. And it's one of dozens of sites across Iran we've been analyzing to see how much of its nuclear supply chain has been wiped out. And the answer is not as much as the U.S. and Israel would like.
POLGLASE: That university you just saw has been under U.S. sanctions since 2012 for researching and developing weapons of mass destruction. It's a reminder of just how long the U.S. has been tracking Iran's ability to make nuclear weapons. And we found that in these latest strikes by the U.S. and Israel, while much of the production process has been substantially damaged, some of the most important parts of this process, the stores of highly enriched uranium, may not have been touched at all.
POLGLASE (voice-over): Let's start at the beginning of the supply chain. Alongside the research, the process starts at places like these, Saghand Uranium Mine, where the raw material, uranium ore, is mined. In recent years, Saghand Mine has expanded significantly. You can see widening pits, growing piles of earth and diggers. We looked at recent imagery since the latest strikes and found no evidence of damage. In fact, from between the clouds, you can still see diggers operating at the site.
So far, this indicates this stage of the nuclear supply chain may remain untouched. Next, the mined uranium ore is transported to production plants like this one in Ardakan. Here, it's converted into yellowcake, which is a type of concentrated uranium.
We found this plant was substantially damaged in recent strikes on March 27th. An image taken the following month shows little change, suggesting the Iranians have not rebuilt this site yet. After this, the yellowcake is taken here to sites like this one in Isfahan to be purified and converted into uranium hexafluoride. And it's this one, this stage of the supply chain, that has caused the biggest headache for the U.S. and Israel.
Back last June, French outlet Le Monde found this truck visible in imagery taken just days before the strikes. These blue containers are likely carrying uranium into the tunnels, experts told CNN. Days later, these facilities were substantially damaged in Israeli attacks. You can see several buildings wiped out. Then, in early 2026, Iran covered over several entrances to these underground tunnels with earth, preventing people from accessing them.
[04:40:08]
Further measures were taken this April, when these roadblocks were put up in front of the entrances to the tunnels. It could suggest there still remains something valuable down there. They were not, however, hit in the latest U.S.-Israeli strikes. Even experts we spoke to are unsure why. David Albright is a world-leading expert on nuclear weapons.
POLGLASE: How much of a risk in the future is that stores in Isfahan Mountain?
DAVID ALBRIGHT, FOUNDER, INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: I think it's a big risk. That's quite a bit of money in the bank. I mean, the amount of enriched uranium they've produced was equivalent to a full year's of production of their entire enrichment complex and is believed to be mostly, almost all of it, at Isfahan.
POLGLASE (voice-over): In fact, the U.S. believes this too. And their demand to remove this uranium has been a key issue in the stalling peace negotiations. And finding out exactly how much is down there is central to determining whether Iran remains a nuclear threat.
Katie Polglase, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: And still coming here on CNN Newsroom, a cruise ship has been stranded at sea as it deals with an outbreak of Hantavirus. But it will soon be able to dock and let passengers off, we'll tell you where.
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SANDOVAL: Three passengers have been evacuated from a cruise ship that's been hit by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak. Medical experts are saying that all three are clinically stable and will be transported to the Netherlands by air ambulance. And the ship has been anchored just off the coast of West Africa, but it is now sailing to the Canary Islands over the next few days after gaining some permission from the Spanish government. Three people have died on board from the rare virus that's usually spread by rodents. Additional cases have also been identified, as CNN's Randi Kaye reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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JAKE ROSMARIN, TRAVEL VLOGGER: I am Jake, and I am spending the next 35 days crossing the Atlantic, visiting some of the most remote islands in the world.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Passengers like Jake Rosmarin were looking forward to an adventure at sea. Then people started dying on board the MV Hondius cruise ship and now, the World Health Organization suspects the Hantavirus, which usually occurs after exposure to rodents, may be spreading person to person.
DR. MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, DIR. FOR EPIDEMIC & PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS & PREVENTION, W.H.O.: Passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins, while disinfection and other public health measures are carried out. Medical teams from Cabo Verde are providing support on board the ship.
KAYE (voice over): The first sign of trouble came when a 70-year-old Dutchman suddenly fell ill on the ship with a fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. South Africa's Health Department told CNN, he died on April 11th, just 10 days after the ship had left port in Argentina.
The man's wife, a 69-year-old Dutch woman, died two weeks later on April 26th at a hospital in South Africa. She collapsed at the airport while trying to get home to the Netherlands. The cruise company, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed the woman tested positive for a variant of Hantavirus.
KERKHOVE: We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that's happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who've shared cabins.
KAYE (voice-over): On April 27th, after the ship left St. Helena, a British national on board got sick. He's now in intensive care in Johannesburg. He also tested positive for the Hantavirus, according to the cruise company, though his condition is improving. And on May 2nd, a third victim died. She was a German national who came down with pneumonia. It's being treated as a suspected case of the Hantavirus.
ROSMARIN: What's happening right now is very real for all of us here. We're not just a story. We're not just headlines.
KAYE (voice-over): The ship is currently moored off Cape Verde with 149 people on board.
VAN KERKHOVE: We are operating and working with the ship to make sure that anyone who is symptomatic, you know, anyone caring for patients is wearing full personal protective equipment.
KAYE (voice-over): Medical evacuations like these of those on board suffering from Hantavirus symptoms was a top priority, according to the World Health Organization, which still says the risk to the general public is low. It is less contagious than many other viruses.
VAN KERKHOVE: This is not a virus that spreads like flu or like COVID. It's quite different.
KAYE (voice-over): How might this have happened?
VAN KERKHOVE: The cruise did stop at many different islands up the coast of Africa and again seeing a lot of different wildlife. On those islands, there are birds. Some islands have a lot of rodents. Others don't.
KAYE (voice-over): The WHO suspects it's the Andes virus, a strain of Hantavirus that has spread person to person before.
VAN KERKHOVE: We need sequencing. So the sequencing is currently underway by the South Africans and we hope to have a result soon.
KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: A federal grand jury has indicted the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting last month. The indictment alleges one more charge against Cole Tomas Allen, which is assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon. He's also facing three other charges, including attempting to assassinate the President, discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and transporting a gun across state lines to commit a crime. Allen is accused of shooting a Secret Service officer as he stormed the security checkpoint during the dinner. Officials say that the officer, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, did survive that attack. Allen has not yet entered a plea. He is, however, expected to be arraigned next Monday.
White House Border Guard Tom Homan says that mass deportations are coming. Speaking in Phoenix on Tuesday, a defiant Homan pushed back against criticism from within President Trump's base who say that the administration is not deporting enough people. He's now vowing to, "Flood the zone with more immigration officers in certain places." Well, he says that people will see more ICE agents than they have ever seen before. He acknowledged that 35 percent to 40 percent of the undocumented people who have been arrested during Trump's second term have no criminal record. Homan says that the detentions are necessary to, "Send a message to the whole world."
[04:49:16]
Still ahead on CNN Newsroom, dining around the world, no passport required, when couples share in their experience as they try to sample cuisine from every country, all without leaving New York City.
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SANDOVAL: We want you to meet his husband and wife here in New York. They are on a mission to eat cuisine from every country all without leaving the Big Apple. And they appear to be making some progress eating around the world and sharing it online for others to experience. Here's CNN's Leigh Waldman.
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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tucked in the corners of the Big Apple's bustling boroughs, you can be transported around the world without ever stamping your passport.
ANDY DORO, EVERY COUNTRY FOOD NYC: Bukharian food in Rego Park. I'm trying Guyanese food in Richmond Hills.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Countries from all over the world coming together in the melting pot that is New York City.
DORO: Everyone knows New York is, you know, one of the most diverse cities on the planet, but, you know, how far can you sort of push that?
WALDMAN (voice-over): That's the question that set Andy Doro off on a now 10-year journey, ate with his wife, Jennifer Baranoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Fattoush salad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Delicious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Tabbouleh salad.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Eating food from every country in the world without ever leaving NYC.
DORO: I've eaten at restaurants representing 163 unique countries.
WALDMAN (voice-over): And documenting each one online. We sat down with him at Tripoli, a restaurant in Brooklyn that's been run by the same family since they opened in 1973. Its name reflects the city in Lebanon where they're from.
MOHAMED SALEM, OWNER, TRIPOLI RESTAURANT: I consider it as a service for the community around us.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Food, as Doro describes it, becomes sort of a consulate inviting people into a culture. That's what Tripoli owner Mohamed Salem strives to do, especially for those experiencing his Lebanese heritage for the first time.
[04:55:03]
SALEM: We will try to treat them like one of ours. And if we have a new thing like he did, and they don't taste before, we'll give them a taste of it.
WALDMAN (voice-over): We experienced that firsthand.
WALDMAN: Could you pass me the carob spread? Thank you.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Doro invited us to Tripoli to learn about the culture of a country now finding itself in conflict. DORO: I thought of Lebanese restaurants because of what's happening in terms of the war and the conflict in the Middle East right now. So I think it's important to, I don't know, humanize people.
SALEM: We are really like, you know, peace-loving people, concentrating about making things happen like, you know, to the good of other people. We're not really like, you know, violent people.
WALDMAN (voice-over): As Doro continues to explore the world, Salem and his family will keep sharing their Lebanese customs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything you may have is made in-house.
WALDMAN (voice-over): One plate at a time.
SALEM: My philosophy is if you have a good thing, you have to share it. You have to really make it available to other people.
WALDMAN (voice-over): Leigh Waldman --
DORO: That's really good.
WALDMAN (voice-over): -- CNN, Brooklyn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: And finally now, Dolly Parton speaking out about her health struggles as she cancels her Las Vegas residency this coming September. The country music star posting on social media that she's getting some treatment but is not quite ready to return to the stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLY PARTON, COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER: I have some good news and a little bad news, but the good news is I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day. Now the bad news is it's going to take me a little while before I'm up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit sweamy- headed, as my grandma used to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: And the 80-year-old star did not get specific about her condition but did mention her battle with kidney stones. Parton also said that her immune system and digestive system have been out of whack, as she described it, for the past couple of years. So we wish her well. This world needs Dolly back on stage.
Thank you so much for watching. I'm Polo Sandoval. We leave you now with CNN Headline Express.
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